Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 3 p.m.
Northwest Missouri State at Augustana
Sioux Falls, S.D. | Morstad Field
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
Northwest Missouri State (1-1-3 overall) will close out its non-conference schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 18, with a road test against the Augustana Vikings (1-1-1 overall) at Morstad Field. The 7th all-time meeting between the two teams is set for 3 p.m. and will be streamed on the NSIC Network. 
 
Last week, Northwest secured its first victory of the season with a 3-1 win over Southwest Baptist. Ximena Arnau scored twice for her first multi-goal game of her career. The Bearcats also faced two top-ranked programs at home, No. 2 Grand Valley State and No. 15 Minnesota State, giving both teams a strong challenge. In the match against Grand Valley State, Arnau found the net early, leading to a 1-1 draw. Sunday's contest against Grand Valley State was a physical, defensive standoff, ending in a 0-0 tie.
 
Match Notes:
Northwest holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series against Augustana. Their last meeting occurred on September 8 of last season, with the Bearcats upsetting then No. 15-ranked Vikings 2-1, courtesy of goals from Arnau and Adell Gore.
 
The Vikings were predicted to finish fifth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll. They've faced MIAA competition in their first three matches this season, losing to Central Missouri (4-2), defeating Rogers State (1-0), and drawing with Fort Hays State (0-0). So far, Augustana has had three different players each score a goal.
 
Last season, the Vikings finished with a 9-7-3 record but were knocked out in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament by Bemidji State, 2-1.
 
Additional Notes:
Head Coach Marc Gordon is in his seventh year leading Northwest's soccer program. Under his leadership, the Bearcats have had three consecutive winning seasons, compiling a 21-7-5 record in MIAA play over the last three years. Last season, they finished 8-5-6 and reached the MIAA quarterfinals before losing to Emporia State.
  
Northwest's 2024 team captains are senior Ashton Dain (Olathe, Kan.), junior Moira Franck (Monument, Colo.), and senior Sydney Mueller (Gretna, Neb.). The squad features a veteran core with eight seniors on the roster.
 
Sophomore Ekaterina Theoharidis leads the team with seven points, 15 shots, and 11 shots on goal. She's tied with Arnau for the team lead in goals, with both players scoring three so far this season. Arnau has already matched her goal total from last year in just five games.
 
Junior goalkeeper Lily Ellis has started four of the Bearcats' five games this season, making 30 saves and posting a 0-1-3 record. Ellis recorded a season-high 12 saves against Grand Valley State and added seven more in the match against Minnesota State. She now ranks sixth in Bearcat history with 188 career saves.
 
Career Saves
1. 394 - Kelsey Adams, 2010-13
2. 339 - Kathie Leach, 1999-01
3. 306 - Alison Sheridan, 2003-06
4. 204 - Ashley Malloy, 2014-17
5. 196 - Kira Lazenby, 2008-09
6. 188 – Lily Ellis, 2022-pres. 
7. 174 - Alexis Serna Castillo, 2018-21
8. 156 - Michelle Goold, 2002, 04-05
9. 108 - Danielle Lawless, 2001-03
10. 77 - Ashley Williams, 2020-21

After a hard-fought weekend with a win, and a pair of draws against ranked opponents, the Bearcats sit at No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches' NCAA Div. II Central Region poll.

United Soccer Coaches' NCAA Div. II Central Region Poll (Sept. 17)
1. Central Missouri 
2. Washburn
3. Minnesota State
4. Concordia University - St. Paul
5. Northeastern State
6. Northwest Missouri State
7. Bemidji State
8. Missouri Western State
9. St. Cloud State
10. Central Oklahoma 
 
Northwest is picked to finish fourth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll, receiving 99 points in the voting to edge out Emporia State by one point for the fourth spot. 
 
2024 MIAA WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Washburn [9] – 137 points 
2. Central Missouri [3] – 131 points
3. Fort Hays State – 112 points
4. Northwest Missouri State – 99 points
5. Emporia State – 98 points
6. Missouri Western [1] – 86 points
7. Central Oklahoma – 82 points
8. Northeastern State – 77 points
9. Rogers State – 58 points
10. Nebraska Kearney – 46 points
11. Pittsburg State – 39 points
12. Newman – 29 points
13. Missouri Southern – 20 points 
[#] - Number of First-Place Votes
4-8